The Dagger: College Basketball Blog

UCLA in China, Day 4: Bruins wowed by first night in scenic Shanghai

UCLA players pose after dinner with the Shanghai skyline in the background (via UCLA athletics)

Most Southern California kids are no stranger to good meals or picturesque sunsets, yet UCLA players couldn't help but be wowed by their experience in Shanghai on Sunday evening.

Once their flight from Beijing landed in Shanghai on Sunday afternoon, the Bruins headed to dinner at New Heights, a contemporary restaurant in the Huangpu district that offers a spectacular view of the city's skyline form its terrace. UCLA then enjoyed an hour-long boat cruise along the Huangpu River, which again provided plenty of breathtaking views.

The Bruins will get back to business Monday and Tuesday when they play their final two exhibition games of the trip, but they enjoyed having a free evening to be tourists in Shanghai. Junior guard Tyler Lamb checks in with Sunday's UCLA in China diary entry about his initial perception of Shanghai and what he enjoyed most about his day.

Tyler Lamb (@LamboMars):

The look of this city reminds me a lot of Las Vegas, when you talk about the bright lights and buildings. It's the perfect place to go if you're a tourist. You look around, and you've got all these beautiful buildings. The whole setting is surreal, it's crazy. Everything, from the tall buildings, the bright lights, the views, the shopping districts, this city seems to have it all.

We went to a beautiful restaurant for dinner tonight as a team. We had a view of the river, with many boats going by all lit up. The view of the skyline was unbelievable. We were there as the sun had already gone down, so all the buildings were really lit up. The restaurant had a great patio up above which showed really good views of the city. We were up there just taking photos with each other, trying to take in the whole scene. We had a great dinner, with the choice of getting chicken or steak. It was a great time.